Fire-escape.



G. E. KEMP.

7 FIRE ESCAPE. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 30, 1914.

1,1 98,926. Patented Sept. 19, 1916.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. KEIMP, OF ALPENA, MICHIGAN.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

Application filed January 30, 1914.

T 0 all whom 2'26 may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE E. KEMP, a citizen of the United States, residing at Alpena, in the county of Alpena and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to a fire escape of a portable type adapted to be self-contained in providing a cable adapted to be unwound, a support in which the person is seated, and a means for checking the cable in its unwinding to control the speed of the descent.

The main object of the present invention is the provision of a fire-escape of this type embodying a block or plate, adapted to support a harness, and provided with a reel upon which the cable is wound, the cable passing longitudinally of the block and cooperating with the braking mechanism, whereby the speed of the cable in its movement through the block may be controlled.

The invention in the preferred form of details will be described in the following specification, reference being had particularly to the accompanying drawmgs, in which Figure 1 is a view in elevation illustrating the improved fire escape. Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation of the same, partly in section, the harness being omitted. Fig. 3 is a section on line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 1- is an edge view of the block and cooperating parts. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the movable member of the brake.

Referring particularly to the accompanying drawings, the improved fire escape comprises a block or plate 1 of uniform width throughout the upper portion of its length, and of somewhat increased width in the lower portion 2, the latterbeing cut out to form a central opening 3. Secured transverse said opening is a bearing pin 4:, said pin being seated in openings appropriately formed in the wall of the aperture 3, one of said openings being partly threaded at 5 to cooperate with a threaded portion 6 on the pin, whereby said pin is held in fixed relation transverse the aperture 3. The upper portion of the block is formed with a recess 7, opening through one surface thereof, the relatively inner wall of the recess being approximately in line with the longitudinal center of the block.

The sections of the block above and below Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 19, 1916.

Serial No. 815,453.

the recess are formed with longitudinally extending bores 8 and 9, said bores extending approximately in alinement with the fixed wall of the recess 7, and with each other, the bore 8 communicating through a flared opening 10 with the aperture 3, while the bore 9 opens through a flared opening 11 through the upper end of the plate.

The fixed wall of the recess 7 is formed with a series of indentations or rounded recesses 12 providing a successive series of projections 18, arranged transversely of said wall, the forward or free ends of said projections being formed'with slight channels or grooves 14:.

Mounted within the recess is a sliding member or block 15 adapted for movement toward and from the fixed wall through the medium of a screw 16 threaded through the wall of the block and formed beyond the latter with an operating wheel or disk 17. The edge of the movable member 15 next the fixed wall of the recess is formed with a series of indentations 18 to provide projections 19, the projections being arranged in relatively offset relation with respect to the fixed projections 13. Said projections 19 are formed with channels 20 corresponding with and disposed in alinement with respect to the projections 14 of the fixed wall.

A reel 21 is mounted for free rotation upon the pin 4, and a cable preferably in the form of a suitable length of piano wire, as 22, is wound about the reel, threaded through the bore 8, between the formed walls of the recess and movable member, through the bore 11, and terminally pro vided with a ring 23. The lower end of the plate below the aperture 3 is formed with an opening 24, from which through any suitable connection 25 is suspended a harness 26, which latter is preferably collapsible and may be of the form shown in Fig. 1, or any other desired or preferred form. A cover plate 27 is secured to the plate 1 to overlie and cover the recess 7, as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

lVhen desired for use, the ring 23 is secured to any fixture in the room, and the person seated in the harness 26 permits himself to be lowered from the window through the unwinding of the cable 22, the control of the movable member of the brake element through operation of the disk 17 servingto .so'brake the cable as to control the descent of the person in accordance with the desired speed.

The apparatus as a whole is readily portable, being completely self contained, the cable in any desired or appropriate length being housed in or carried by the block itself in a manner to add but little weight or bulk to said block. In use, the device will insure proper lowering, of a person to safety from any elevation within reach of the limits-of the cable, the wire riding in channels 1e and 20 and being readily checked through suitable operation ofthe movable member of the brake mechanism.

\Vhat is claimed is A portable fire escape including a flat block like member of increased transverse dimension at its lower end, said lower end being formed with an opening to receive a reel, the block in the reduced portion being formed with a recess opening through one side wall and wholly to one'side of the medial line of the block, the block above the opening being formed with a vertically extending channel opening into and from sald recess, the wall of the recess lmmediately ad acent the longitudinal medial line of the block being formed with projections having their 'maximum extent in line with the channel, a block slidably mounted in the recess and formed on the edge nearest the channel with projections 7 corresponding to the projections of the channel wall but offset therefrom, and a screw threaded through the wall of the recess remote from the channel, and engaging the block, the maximum projection of the screw beyond the block being approxi mately equal to the increased dimension of the lower end of the block, whereby in the use of the device as a fire escape, lateral projection of the operating part beyond the block proper is avoided;

In testimony whereof, I aiIiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEO. E. KEMP.

Witnesses: I. S. CANrmLD,

LAURA LYTLE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington D. C. 

